60 notable NYC restaurants and bars that permanently closed over the last year

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This Lower East Side Vietnamese restaurant was one of the early leaders in showcasing the Southeast Asian country’s cuisine with a modern twist. The owners still have their popular restaurant Di An Di in Greenpoint.

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Keith McNally’s formula for a hit French brasserie didn’t survive the tough conditions, between a health crisis that left downtown Manhattan like a ghostown and a beautiful restaurant that never quite gained momentum like his other spots in town.

The Alinea Group’s high-end cocktail dens—The Aviary NYC and The Office (a more speakeasy concept)—inside the Mandarin Oriental were reportedly already slated to close in April but the pandemic pushed the opening date ahead. We marveled at the mad scientist-level concoctions here (even if the pricey cocktails meant it wasn’t an everyday spot).

We’ll always remember the burgers at Gabriel Stulman’s gastropub, an intimate 28-seat corner spot in the West Village. It was a place that felt like it catered to locals as much as diners there on a first date.

Delores Tronco-DePierro, who opened Denver's popular Work & Class, and her husband, executive chef John DePierro, offered a taste of difficult-to-find Southwestern bites. The dinner menu presented dishes like pork spiked with hatch green chillies, New Mexican wedding cookies topped with toasted corn ice cream and other intriguing items. 

The ethically-minded meatery shuttered its Hudson Yards location after little more than a year due to the pandemic. The vacancy has since been filled with a third NYC outpost of Israeli fast-casual spot Miznon. 

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One of the few bright spots of the Upper East Side dining scene, Beyoglou offered reliable (and affordable) Turkish food that was perfect for a group of friends to share a meal.

Danny Meyer’s jazzy barbecue joint routinely topped the short list of Manhattan’s best ’cue contenders with both wet sauces and dry rubs. However, it wasn't enough for the Flatiron spot to withstand the pressures of the pandemic: “Over nearly two decades, we’ve had an amazing ride and I can’t begin to express how beautiful it has been to make so many lasting friendships in both the barbecue and jazz communities,” Meyer said in a closing statement in December. “Those relationships live on.”

The health-focused plates like chutney-topped cauliflower steak and quinoa tagliatelli studded with beet greens and sunflower kernels at the 70-seat American dining room had a loyal (and often stylish) following. But like restaurants before it, the ace location on Sixth Avenue and Bleecker remains tough for business—and even moreso during the current crisis.

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This iconic nightclub was the it place to be during its heyday, but several incarnations later, the Times Square location was its latest spot—and perhaps last (it may reopen elsewhere in the future).

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This neighborhood bar is an anomaly in an area where businesses are often designed to me the latest hip downtown restaurant. Sure, Daddy-O offered a fine cocktail menu and some great whiskeys, but the overall vibe was casual and welcomed everyone.

For those who crave not just great drinks, but also the culture of drinking well, there's a certain thrill that comes with encountering a bar that you want to get to know beyond the first date. The gorgeous Donna, a breezy, rum-soaked drinkery secreted away near the Williamsburg waterfront, was long-term relationship material. Alas, a tragic break-up was inevitable due to COVID-19: In a statement on the bar's website, co-owner Leif Young Huckman wrote, "Donna will offer its last service for the foreseeable future on Saturday, November 28th. We overcame the famine of our first months of operation, a fire in year two, but after 8 ½ years of service, we cannot overcome this plague."

This East Village barbecue joint meldded Texas-style meats with Southeast Asian flavors. But it was a watermelon "ham" that went viral a few years ago that put Ducks Eatery on the map. We'll miss the innovative fare, both the IG bait and staple menu items.

Long before Williamsburg became so trendy that it was no longer truly hip, Egg was the spot for breakfasts and long weekend brunches. You'd perch on mismatched chairs at a paper-covered table, wake up at a leisurely speed to the old-time folk music on the sound system, and tuck into a cheap meal that may include eggs Rothko (a slice of brioche with a hole in the middle that accommodates a sunny-side-up egg, all of which is covered with sharp cheddar) or a terrific country-ham biscuit sandwich.

This respected bars served drinks that felt like they came from a mad scientist's lab witih lots of high-tech and wizardry. The seasoned owners Dave Arnold (Booker and Dax), Don Lee (PDT) and Greg Boehm (Cocktail Kingdom) ensured the cocktails were painstakingly perfect. 

This Lower East Side nook moved to the Bowery and fans followed them for the comforting dumplings and their specialty in hand-pulled noodles from China's northwestern province of Lanzhou. 88 Lan Zhou was budget friendly, filling and delicious—exactly the type of restaurant we crave today more than ever.

The Fat Radish may have had a reputation for being a hangout for the fashion set but it was a destination worthy for its food, too. From burgers to seasonal salads, there was a bit of everything here for everyone.

An East Village fixture for nearly 100 years, Gem Spa was known as much for serving its egg creams as its punk roots. The shop was already struggling to survive, but the last few months were just too tough.

This neighborhood favorite in Chelsea on Sixth Avenue was one of the rare restaurants open 24/7 and an example of yet another dying breed of business: a no-frills New York City diner with quick, comfortable and warm (if no-nonsense) service.

For 36 years, Gotham Bar & Grill helped set the standard for fine dining in the city. It consistently garnered rave reviews, but it was a perhaps a confluence of factors—the trend toward more casual dining, a shift in ownership and the current crisis—that lead to the restaurant’s demise.

The London flagship of this luxe Cantonese chain, which includes multiple locations worldwide, was the first Chinese restaurant to achieve Michelin-star status. At this 11,000-square-foot outpost, diners could order the original's signature plates, like roasted silver cod with champagne sauce and Chinese honey, and stir-fry black-pepper rib eye with merlot. It had a reputation for being expensive and for its club-restaurant feel, but when it came down to the food, especially the dim sum selection, many of the dishes hit the spot.

R.I.P. to the perfect hangover cure that was the pork chop over rice at this Chinatown takeout spot. According to reports, the restaurant seemingly closed early in the pandemic and the phone line has been disconnected. 

Known for concoctions that were as tasty as they were whimsical, this creative creamery announced on social media that it would be closing its doors permanently come November 1st. "We want to thank our loyal fans, customers, partners, and community for the past 7 amazing years. We are blessed to have been given the opportunity to share our vision for ice cream with the world," reads a statement on the shop's site. 

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The East Village boasted a destination sushi restaurant long before expensive omakase tasting menus became the norm among the city’s top Japanese restaurants. Jewel Bako offered pristine seafood with a stellar sake selection.

Life got sweeter for Prospect Heights residents when this 25-seat, buttermilk-colored patisserie opened in 2006. Fourteen years later, the shop sadly closed down due to the coronavirus pandemic, the owners announced in a Facebook post in September. 

If anyone can claim to be an expert on Neapolitan pizza, it’s Keste’s Roberto Caporuscio. When he opened on Bleecker Street, it ushered in a wave of thin pies with puffy pockets of air and tiny black blisters across the city. We're still in love with Neapolitan pizza today, and while this location has closed, there's still a Kesté open in FiDi.

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The mashup of Cuban-Chinese cuisine is not common these days. At this Upper West Side stalwart, no one stayed a stranger when the staff mixed with the patrons to peppy cubano music. The portions were gigantic; the bread was steamy and buttery; and specialties like masitas de cerdo (crisp, chewy pork chunks) or bistec en escabeche (a platter-size steak pounded thin and marinated with peppers, onions, garlic, olives and vinegar) came with heaps of rice, beans and fried plantains. 

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One of the few Malaysian restaurants in New York, Let’s Makan served a delightful menu of dishes—many you’d find street vendors serving in chef Michelle Lam’s homeland—such as various noodle soups and colorful desserts.

Central Park’s historic Loeb Boathouse restaurant—a wedding favorite famously seen in When Harry Met Sally and “Sex and the City”—shuttered this fall and laid off 163 of its employees, citing  “unforeseeable business circumstances prompted by COVID-19.”

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Before there was Balthazar or Pastis, Keith McNally’s Lucky Strike was a beloved Soho restaurant since its opening in 1989. While the neighborhood has been stripped of its artistic-bohemian vibe (and replaced with luxury stores through the years), this was one spot that made you feel like you found a one-of-a-kind treasure.

The Flatiron fast-casual outfit from the Eleven Madison Park team closed after nearly four years this fall, as announced by chef-owner Daniel Humm in an Instagram post. 

A modern take on the retro diner, MeMe’s offered playful diner-style bites that felt so nostalgic, you'd have called granny afterwards just to tell her you love her. The queer-run restaurant created a space that was open and inviting to everyone, making the announcement that it was closing in November that much more painful to swallow. 

The original East Village location was a favorite for happy hour whether you wanted oysters, lobster rolls or even a Bloody Mary during the week. Luckily, there are three other locations in the city (Greenwich Village, Chelsea and Upper West Side).

At his Mission Chinese redux, Danny Bowien traded in beer kegs, paper dragons and a cramped, dive-punk Orchard Street basement for smart cocktails, banquet-hall booths and an ample, gleaming dining room in the far reaches of Chinatown. While this location is closed, you can find similar vibes at the Bushwick location.

David Chang closed Nishi, a restaurant that was often overlooked in the chef’s Momofuku empire, but it was a sleeper hit of sorts—despite uneven reviews at first—for many with its innovative take on Italian cuisine. The celebrity chef is also moving his beloved Ssäm Bar from the East Village to take place of Bar Wayō, which opened last year, in the South Street Seaport. Elsewhere, a D.C. Momofuku location is also shuttered.

The entrance was hard to find and the waits could be long, but the effort was well worth it. Off-duty barkeeps and the people who wanted to hang with them could often be sitting next to you in the coz subterranean space.

Both downtown outposts of this inventive ice-cream parlor (East 4th Street and East Houston) closed as the onset of the lockdown back in March and will not be reopening. However, its Brooklyn siblings are thankfully still open for pickup and delivery. 

As one of the best bars in New York, Pegu Club was also one of the seminal bars of the craft cocktail movement. Countless bartenders worked here that went on to open their own spots that New Yorkers have come to love. 

This neighborhood favorite in the East Village was known for its comforting Italian fare by chef Sara Jenkins. 

"2020 has been quite the year and while we have tried to hold off as long as possible, it is with great sadness that we announce the closure of Ramen Lab. Our last day will be Friday, November 13th," the Ramen Lab restaurant team announced on Facebook back in October. "It has been our greatest honor and joy to share with New York City and visitors from around the world, the art and deliciousness of craft ramen."

Chef John Fraser’s 701West inside the glitzy Edition Times Square Hotel is no more after the Marriott corporation announced its closing after barely a year in operation. It was one of the few destination restaurants in a neighborhood with limited choices (at least non-chain businesses) and despite its fine-dining atmosphere, the menu was very gently priced.

Dining at Taladwat was akin to attending a pot luck—but much better because you’re sharing dishes that span the southern, central and western regions of Thailand. Chef David Bank doled out rich, spicy curries and hearty pork dishes that you don’t find from your local Thai takeout joint.

Thomas Keller, one of America’s most decorated chefs, has permanently closed his fine dining restaurant in Hudson Yards. It was the chef’s first NYC restaurant opening in 15 years when he opened the throwback restaurant in March 2019.

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Takashi celebrated its 10th anniversary mark this spring, but diners will no longer be able to feast on its yakiniku fare (Japanese-style tabletop grilling) serving nose-to-tail cuts of beef. The restaurant offered a glimpse of the handful of quality yakitori restaurants open today.

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This sprawling tapas restaurant garnered lots of attention when it first opened—from its respected Boston chefs to the hip downtown location on the border of the Meatpacking District serving a distinct, modern spin on Spanish cuisine.

After nearly a century on West 52nd Street—including a storied stretch as Manhattan's most thirsted-after speakeasy—the 21 Club and its famous jockey statues will be waving goodbye for the "foreseeable future" due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a spokesperson announced in a statement in December. 

Ever since opening in 2013, diners packed into Ann Redding and Matt Danzer’s Nolita restaurant Uncle Boons. The chefs set a stage—one filled with vintage posters and some tiki bar touches—that showcased modern Thai dishes without watering them down. New Yorkers ate it up; they loved the complex (and often fiery) dishes served in the laid back, fun environment. Now Redding and Danzer have decided to close the restaurant permanently after not reaching an agreement with their landlord.

The Mushreuben—a vegetarian spin on the diner classic had us dreaming of the roasted maitake mushrooms with sauerkraut, peppadew peppers, melted Swiss cheese and special sauce between toasted caraway-rye bread—was one of our favorite dishes in 2019. Other plates at Camilla Marcus’s Soho restaurant brought a cool West Coast vibe to New York we’ll miss.